Of Ladybugs and Black Cats
by GreenPokeGuy
Summary: Ladybug and Cat Noir are the superheroes of Paris. Everyone knows about Ladybug being confident and witty, and Cat Noir being outgoing and flirty, especially toward his partner. But they don't know about all the little things that stay between them. One-shot collection for Ladynoir July!
1. Chin Scratch

**I know I'm really late, but I really wanted to contribute to this! I love this show so much, and these two are the cutest. So I hope that I do them justice! And now, onto the Ladynoir!**

* * *

 **Chin Scratch**

"Good job, kitty!" Ladybug said, and her finger reached under his chin and gave him a scratch. He found that he liked it, and he tried to nuzzle into the touch, but she was already pulling away and dashing off, and Cat Noir quickly followed her. However, he was distracted by what had just happened.

She'd never done that before, and he really wanted her to do it again. However, they had to make sure that Kim was protected from Animan, so they used the tracker on Cat Noir's staff to find him and get there before Animan did.

* * *

After defeating Animan, the next time they met up again was on one of their routine patrols. Cat Noir watched Ladybug land on the Eiffel Tower next to him, and he smiled at her, which was returned.

"Glad to see you're on time, Cat Noir." Ladybug said, and Cat Noir smirked.

"Of course I am, my lady. I would never pass up an opportunity to see you, even for just a few minutes." Cat Noir purred, and Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"And you've brought that along too. Oh well, let's just begin our patrol. I have something that I need to take care of at home before tomorrow." Ladybug told him, and Cat Noir nodded. She swung away on her yo-yo, and Cat Noir went in the opposite direction on his staff, launching to the nearest rooftop and then jumping over the gaps, looking down at the city as he passed through. He noticed nothing suspicious as he went on his normal route, which was nice. Sometimes there would be a minor crime or something going on, but when there was nothing happening, it meant that they got to finish patrolling early and spend some time together. Cat Noir always looked forward to spending time with his lady.

Cat Noir returned to the Eiffel Tower, and he was the first one back. Ladybug normally took longer anyway because she liked to be thorough, so it gave him some time to think. He found his mind wandering to a certain moment from the last akuma attack, and he felt his face heat up. He really wanted her to do it again. Usually she would brush off his quick thinking and get straight down to it, but there was something about that show of affection that stuck with him. Maybe it was something that she hadn't thought to do, so she wanted to show him her appreciation in a quick non-verbal way? He didn't know, and he felt it would be too awkward to ask. He would just have to hope.

He heard the sound of her yo-yo with his super hearing, and his ears twitched as a smile came onto his face. He straightened up as she landed next to him.

"Nothing bad was happening on my route. Since you got here first, I'm assuming the same?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow, a smile on her face.

"That's right, my lady! This alley cat didn't find any mice to play with," Cat Noir informed her, saluting exaggeratedly, which caused Ladybug to roll her eyes. "Guess that means that they're scared of us, which is always a good thing. It means that I get to spend more time with you, bugaboo." Ladybug groaned, but she was soon smiling again.

"Looks like you're right. It's good to know that the main crimes that we have to worry about are the akumas. I'd call this patrol a success." Ladybug said, and Cat Noir tilted his chin upward. He hoped she would get the message, but all it got was a strange stare. "What are you doing, kitty?" Seeing that she missed it, he lowered his head to look into her eyes and pout at her.

"I thought that you might want to reward your kitty with some affection, but your _purr_ esence is all that I need. Anything extra is a bonus." Cat Noir told her, smirking, but internally he was disappointed. He had hoped she would understand.

"Oh, you want affection, do you? Aren't you a greedy kitty?" Ladybug chuckled, and Cat Noir's pout returned.

"I'm only greedy because you starve me of it." Cat Noir joked, and Ladybug sighed, a smile on her face.

"Oh, alright." Ladybug said, moving closer to Cat Noir. He stiffened momentarily as Ladybug's hand reached up toward his face. Was she really going to do it…? He could practically feel his chin itch for the touch as Ladybug's hand went toward it… and then she poked him on the nose. "Boop." She moved away, trying to hold in a grin, but it was slipping through. "Will that do?" Needless to say, Cat Noir was not very amused.

"You're such a tease, my lady." Cat Noir accused, and Ladybug waved it off.

"As I said, too much affection will make you a greedy kitty." Ladybug retorted, and she turned to stare out at the city, leaning on the railing. Sensing that the time for talking was over, Cat Noir turned out to the city as well, watching all the bright city lights and the stars in the night sky. Paris was beautiful, and he was glad that he got to experience it with such a beautiful girl by his side. The only thing he would change at this moment was how they were situated. He would love to hold his lady as she scratched under his chin, or maybe massaged his scalp. But until he could convince her to give him a chance, he was content with what they had.

* * *

Cat Noir grabbed the necklace from the akuma and threw it to Ladybug, who threw it to the ground and stepped on it, breaking it and releasing the black butterfly, which Ladybug captured with her yo-yo and purified. Then he watched as she threw up the item that had become her lucky charm, and the city returned to normal. The two superheroes walked over to each other as the victim returned to normal as well.

"Pound it!" They cried, bumping their fists together in their signature victory pose. When they retracted their fists, Cat Noir shot her a grin.

"We did _claw_ some today, my lady!" Cat Noir said, waggling his eyebrows, and Ladybug groaned.

"You totally ruined the moment, Cat Noir," Ladybug teased, and Cat Noir pouted as a smile appeared on her face. "But you're right. We did really well with handling this akuma. Well done!" Ladybug stepped closer and scratched under his chin. Cat Noir's eyes widened and he stiffened at the gesture, but he was soon leaning into the touch, eyes closed and smile content. "Oh, you really like this, don't you, kitty?"

"You have _meow_ idea, my lady." Cat Noir purred, and the hand was retracted, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his lady glaring at him.

"Cat Noir, that was an awful pun. You should be ashamed." Ladybug smirked.

"But you still enjoy them." Cat Noir winked, and Ladybug groaned exaggeratedly.

"I'll grant that they lighten the mood, but nothing else," Ladybug replied, before her expression relaxed into a smile. "But if you like chin scratches that much, then maybe I can give you more." When she saw Cat Noir's eyes light up, she added, "But only when you do really well with something! If I give you scratches every time you'll become very spoiled."

"I can handle that, my lady. After all, I live to im _purr_ ess you." Cat Noir grinned, and at that moment his ring beeped. Ladybug's eyes were drawn to the sound momentarily as well.

"Looks like you need to head off, Cat Noir. I'll handle everything here, I still have some time." Ladybug said, and she turned to help out the victim with a wave. Cat Noir stayed a moment longer to watch her kindly offer her hand to the victim before he grabbed his staff and launched into the air, landing on a roof and running in the direction of the mansion. He was ecstatic that Ladybug would be giving him more affection now, and had high hopes that it would only develop from there.

* * *

 **That moment was so adorable, so I'm glad that there was a prompt about it! The next prompt is looking like it'll be just as fluffy, so look forward to that! :)**

 **-Green**


	2. Movie Date

**Welp, this is really late, sorry about that. My motivation's been slipping recently. This is quite a long one, though, so hope that makes up for it!**

* * *

 **Movie Date**

Cat Noir had been looking forward to this for a week now. Cat Noir had pestered his lady multiple times before, asking if they could do something together outside of patrols and fighting akumas, and on a day after a particularly hard akuma, Cat Noir had invited Ladybug to the movies with him, and she had said yes with a loud sigh.

"Wait, what? Did you just say yes?" Cat Noir had asked, not believing his ears.

"Yes, Cat Noir. I'll go to the movies with you. But can we talk about specifics later? I want to crash right now." Ladybug had said, a hint of frustration in her voice. Cat Noir had let her go after that, and had gone home to freak out about it in private. He couldn't believe that his lady had accepted one of his offers! Maybe she needed something like this to relax after all of the akumas Hawk Moth had been sending lately.

The next time they had met up, they had discussed all sorts of details, such as what movie to see and when, that they would need disguises, how to locate each other with said disguises on. They decided that they would see the newest comedy flick at 8:30pm, but not the romantic comedy, which Cat Noir had pouted at upon being turned down. They would patrol afterward. To get around the disguises, they decided that they'd use their weapons' communication features in the bathroom, away from the public eye, and describe what they were wearing. And most importantly, they would both bring their own snacks and share in the cinema.

And now the day was here. This Friday night, Cat Noir would be on a movie date with Ladybug. But first, Adrien Agreste had to get through the day.

* * *

Adrien could barely sit still in class. All he wanted to do was to run out of the room and tell the world that he was going to be going to the movies with his lady. Needless to say, he got himself a few weird looks.

"Dude, you look like you need to use the bathroom. What's up?" Nino asked when Miss Mendeleiev was writing something on the board. Adrien heard something shift behind him, and he looked to see Alya and Marinette watching him. His face coloured as he turned back to Nino.

"I'm just excited about something that's happening tonight, that's all." Adrien replied, facing the board. Nino looked at him for a little while longer, but started to pay attention when he noticed that Miss Mendeleiev was looking at him.

The bell rang for lunch, and before Adrien could even stand up, Nino clamped a hand on his shoulder. "What's going on, bro? You can tell me." Nino smiled, and Adrien sighed. There was no way he'd be getting out of this one, so he'd have to come up with a believable lie.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But in the courtyard, okay? I don't want people in the class to get any ideas." Adrien replied, and he subtly gestured at Chloe, who sent him a wink before she left the classroom, Sabrina right behind her. Adrien held in a shudder. They may have been friends as children, but Chloe was far too clingy now, and she was mean to all his friends, so he wasn't really sure about her.

"Gotcha, dude." Nino said, and they left the classroom together. They found a fairly secluded corner of the yard to hang out, and just as Adrien was about to speak, Alya and Marinette came over, one looking like she was looking for a scoop and the other looking at the ground.

"Can we be a part of this, too? We're your friends, too, right Marinette?" Alya nudged the girl, who let out a squeak before she looked up.

"Yeah, w-we are." Marinette answered, and Adrien sighed. He hoped he wouldn't feel too guilty about lying to his friends like he was about to.

"Okay, you guys can hear, too." Adrien put on a smile, and soon all three of them were staring at him intensely, waiting for an answer. "I've been excited today, because… Because my father's letting me have some time to myself tonight!" All three of their faces lit up, happy for him.

"That's awesome, dude! How did that come about?" Nino patted Adrien on the shoulder, and Adrien smiled at the touch.

"It turns out that Nathalie told my father how hard I've been working, and that I deserve a break to do something for myself, and he relented. It was really nice of her." Adrien lied, and he hoped that his father wouldn't hear about this. It would be bad if Nathalie got into trouble because of him.

"That's great! How are you going to spend your night?" Alya asked, and Adrien frowned. If he told them that he was going to the movies, they would obviously want to come along to celebrate with him.

"I'm going to see a movie," Adrien started, and that's when he had to start lying some more. "I'd love to invite all of you, but the only condition was that my bodyguard had to come with me, so I don't want to get in trouble if he hears about me inviting you guys."

"Th-that's okay, Adrien. I-I wouldn't be able to come, anyway." Marinette stuttered, but she did give Adrien a weak smile, which he returned.

"You wouldn't? What are you up to tonight, girl?" Alya asked, and Marinette seemed to shrink as everyone's attention fell on her.

"I-I have to work in the bakery tonight," Marinette said. Adrien saw Alya raise an eyebrow. "Cleaning, that is. Th-the bakery becomes a bit messy, so after hours, w-we clean up a little, and that's what my parents want me to do tonight." Alya nodded in understanding.

"That's really responsible, Marinette! Your parents must really appreciate your help." Adrien smiled, and Marinette blushed as she said a small thank you.

"Well, now that the mystery's solved, I can see why you're so excited, dude. That's huge!" Nino exclaimed, and Alya and Marinette nodded, agreeing. Adrien couldn't help but smile, even if he was telling mostly lies.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate your support. How about I treat you all to something nice for lunch?" Adrien suggested, wanting to make up for it. Everyone nodded excitedly, and they all headed out for lunch, Adrien happy that he could share his excitement in some way.

* * *

That night, Adrien transformed into Cat Noir and made his way to the supermarket near the cinema he and Ladybug would be meeting at. He was carrying his disguise in a backpack so that he could put everything on in the bathroom of the cinema while still wearing normal clothes as Adrien, in case he met up with Ladybug's civilian form. It would be really bad if she managed to identify him simply because of an outfit.

As he neared the supermarket, Cat Noir dropped into an alley and detransformed, and Adrien walked into the supermarket, ready to buy some snacks to share with his lady. He ignored the stares of other late shoppers as he sought out the snack food aisle, since he was used to them. Granted, it was a very uncommon sight to see someone like him in a supermarket, but Adrien was preoccupied. When he finally located the snack food aisle after wandering around for a little while, he was surprised when he saw Marinette, toting a backpack and grabbing snack food off the shelves.

"Marinette?" Adrien called out, and as he walked over, he noticed her stiffen before she turned to him, her face relaxing.

"A-Adrien! What are you d-doing here?" Marinette stuttered, and Adrien couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"I'm getting snacks for my movie. How about you, what are all those for?" Adrien gestured to all the items Marinette was currently holding in her arms.

"O-Oh, me? I'm having my own movie night with my family, s-so I came to stock up since we've run out!" Marinette told him, a nervous smile on her face. Adrien wondered why being around him made her stutter, not for the first time. He figured that it had something to do with being a model of such a famous company, but he had no idea past that. He smiled at her in the hopes of coming off as friendly.

"That sounds fun! Enjoy your night." Adrien told her, and he started to scan the shelves, looking at the variety of junk food on offer. It was actually kind of overwhelming for the model. He noticed Marinette grabbing some more packets off the shelves, and he wondered how she seemed so sure of what she wanted. Not wanting to look awkward, he picked a bag of potato chips off the shelf, and saw that it was barbecue flavoured. He wondered how badly his dietician would react if he told her that he'd consumed these, along with everything else that he was about to enjoy. He shrugged and started to find more things.

"Bye, Adrien!" He heard a minute later, and he turned to see Marinette waving at him from the end of the aisle.

"See you at school!" Adrien waved back, and she left his line of sight, heading to the checkout. Adrien turned back to the shelves and grabbed some more food until he figured he had a good amount of food items, and then headed to the checkout himself.

* * *

Adrien walked into the cinema and instantly headed for the bathroom to transform. He entered and saw that no one was inside. Just to be safe, he went into a stall. Plagg flew out of his shirt pocket once he locked the stall door.

"Don't worry, Plagg, you'll get a lot of cheese for this favour." Adrien told him, and Plagg was satisfied, not putting up a fight as Adrien transformed. He then dug through the backpack and pulled out the clothes that he brought along for his disguise, stuffing the shopping back with snacks in after. Adrien quickly pulled everything on, and when he was done, he was wearing a blue hoodie, navy blue jeans and black gloves that were awkward on his hands. He didn't bring shoes alone because he wasn't going to be able to get shoes over the boots he wears as Cat Noir. Just getting the jeans over them was tough. His tail was tucked into his jeans as well. To finish the look, he put on a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes. They were too obvious and would give him away instantly.

Now wearing his disguise, the next step was to contact Ladybug. He pulled out his staff, which also went into the backpack, and activated the communicator, calling Ladybug. After a couple of seconds, Ladybug's face popped up onto the screen, and she looked irritated.

 _"_ _Great timing! I had to quickly duck into a stall so that my cover wouldn't be blown!"_ Ladybug told him, narrowing her eyebrows, and he couldn't help but snicker.

"Sorry, my lady, but I had no idea where you'd be, and I've got my disguise on, so I thought I'd call." Cat Noir replied, and Ladybug let out a loud sigh.

 _"_ _You're right, sorry about that. Nice shades, by the way."_ Ladybug said teasingly, and Cat Noir pouted at her.

"It's the only way to hide my eyes, LB! I didn't have any other option. I'll take them off once we're seated, but for now I have to," Cat Noir retorted, and Ladybug nodded in understanding, though she was still smirking. "Anyway, when you're looking for me, if you don't see the glasses first, I'm wearing a blue hoodie. It'll be easy to spot, since I'll be the only one wearing the hood up."

 _"_ _Alright. If you see me first, I'll be wearing a red hoodie,"_ Ladybug informed him, and Cat Noir nodded. _"I'll see you in a few minutes, then!"_

"See you soon, my lady! This movie night will be _purr_ fect by your side." Cat Noir smirked, and Ladybug rolled her eyes at him before she ended the call. Cat Noir snickered as he left the bathroom. She made it too easy for him.

Cat Noir waited around by the ticket booth, looking for red to identify his lady. Unfortunately, that was a lot harder than it sounded because there were a lot of people wearing red hoodies, and the walls of the cinema were red. He put on a tight-lipped smile. She would just have to find him. Instead, he just tried to stay casual while feeling the stares of quite a few people on him, probably because of his hood and sunglasses.

"Hey!" Cat Noir heard a call, and he turned to see a girl in a red hoodie and sunglasses waving at him with a gloved hand. That could only be his lady. He grinned as she made it over to him.

"Well, look at you, my lady. Am I too bright for you?" Cat Noir asked, and Ladybug looked confused for a second before she let out a groan.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Just hiding my mask until we get into the theatre." Ladybug replied hotly, adjusting the sunglasses sitting on her face. "At least I don't need to have my hood up."

"And you don't have to worry about a bell or tail either." Cat Noir said quietly. He then patted the bag on his back. "I've got plenty of snacks, though. We'll have a feast!"

"Me too, so I guess you're right," Ladybug laughed, and the sound make Cat Noir's heart warm. "I'll go get the tickets, so you just wait here, okay?" Cat Noir frowned.

"Wait, my lady. Why are you paying? It's customary for the man to pay on dates, right?" Cat Noir asked, and Ladybug sighed. She might have rolled her eyes, but Cat Noir couldn't really tell.

"That's so old-fashioned! And it's not a date, we're just having a night of fun. Besides, it's fine. You probably need all the help you can get, being an alley cat and all." Ladybug smirked.

"Me-owch, my lady! But really, I insist. At least let me pay for my own ticket." Cat Noir replied, and Ladybug smiled.

"That sounds fair. Give me enough for a ticket and I'll go get them, then?" Ladybug suggested, and Cat Noir nodded, happy with that plan. He reached into the pocket of his jeans for his wallet and pulled out enough for two tickets, then held it out. Ladybug took it, but as she was about to take it to the booth, she realised how much there was, took out half and held it back out to Cat Noir. With the other hand, she lowered her sunglasses so that he could see her unimpressed look. He could only grin sheepishly at her as he took the extra money back. "Nice try, kitty. I'll be right back." She went over to the booth, and Cat Noir watched her with a smile.

* * *

They walked out of the movie talking animatedly about what they'd just seen, laughing and having a good time.

"When she fell on him and brought them both to the ground, that was hilarious!" Cat Noir laughed as they walked out of the cinema and into the cool night. Ladybug laughed as she recalled the scene.

"I loved the part when he accidentally hit her in the face with the ball, and when he came over to apologise, she kicked him in the shin!" Ladybug chuckled, and Cat Noir laughed at the memory. When they were a few metres down the street, they turned to each other. "Well, this was a fun night, Cat Noir. I'm really glad that we did this together."

"Me too, my lady! It's always a _purr_ leasure to be with you, of course, but tonight was extra special." Cat Noir winked, and Ladybug groaned, though she was still smiling.

"Okay, kitty, if you say so," Ladybug replied, putting a hand on her hip. "So what's the plan now? Split up and go home, and then meet up at the Eiffel Tower to start patrol?"

"A _purr_ fect plan, Bugaboo. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone, alright?" Cat Noir winked, and as Ladybug groaned again, he got out his staff, did a two-finger salute and vaulted onto the nearest roof, his hood flying off. He heard cries of surprise from below, and he snickered, wondering if those were the same people that were in the cinema with them. As he made his way home, he smiled at the memory of the movie night, and he hoped that they'd be able to do something similar soon.

* * *

 **I wanted to include a scene with them in the movie, but it was already getting too long by that point. Sorry about that. Please review if you enjoyed! :)**

 **-Green**


	3. Flowers

**Hey everyone, back again with the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Flowers**

Giving flowers as a gift is a good way to show a person that you like them. Except, apparently, if that person that you're giving flowers to is Ladybug.

"Kitty, there's no time for this! We need to defeat the akuma!" Ladybug groaned, pushing the flower that Cat Noir had offered her away before leaping away to find the akuma. Cat Noir frowned. Sure, he probably could have timed it better, but it was still a flower, and didn't girls like flowers? Sighing dejectedly, Cat Noir tossed the flower away and went after his lady.

After defeating the akuma, and before Ladybug could get away, Cat Noir decided to confront her about it.

"My lady, don't you like flowers?" Cat Noir asked, and Ladybug looked at him, caught off-guard by his serious tone.

"What? Of course I like flowers! Why wouldn't I- oh wait, this is about that flower you offered me, isn't it?" Ladybug quickly figured out the seemingly random question, and Cat Noir could only laugh awkwardly. Ladybug sighed. "Cat Noir, I do like flowers, but there's no time to mess around when there are akuma attacks. If you gave me flowers some other time, I might be more open to receiving them." When she saw Cat Noir's face light up, she rolled her eyes. "Might, Cat Noir."

"That's better than a no, bugaboo!" Cat Noir smirked. "Our love will bloom all over Paris when I find you the perfect flower."

"Please don't…" Ladybug groaned, holding a hand to her face.

"Don't worry, my lady! No flower is more beautiful than you, so it will be a hard task." Cat Noir's ring beeped before Ladybug could say anything. "I'll see you later, my lady!" Cat Noir grabbed his staff and vaulted away, grin on his face. This would be a lot of fun for him.

* * *

On the next patrol, Cat Noir landed on top of Notre Dame, where Ladybug decided to start patrolling from. He managed to arrive before Ladybug, so he was about to relax and wait for her when she landed behind him, and he whirled around to face her, hiding a hand behind his back.

"My lady! I've been waiting to see you!" Cat Noir exclaimed, and Ladybug raised an eyebrow at her pearly white grin.

"Why? Have you been waiting long?" Ladybug asked, and that's the moment Cat Noir pulled out his hand, which was holding the stem of a tulip. He offered it to her, a smile on his face. She stared at him. "You're giving me a flower?"

"Of course, my lady! You deserve only the best, and flowers are fit for a ladybug." Cat Noir replied, holding the flower out further. Ladybug gave him an unimpressed look.

"Look, Cat Noir. I appreciate the thought, but I can't take it." Ladybug said, averting her gaze, and his grin turned into a frown.

"Why not? It's just a flower, bugaboo." Cat Noir tilted his head, and Ladybug sighed, still not looking at him.

"I just can't, okay?" Ladybug said, turning away. "Let's go patrol." Ladybug left, and Cat Noir watched her until she was out of sight. He looked at the flower in his hand and sighed.

"That could have gone better." He said, dropping the flower on the roof. He got out his staff and started his own patrol of Paris.

* * *

Marinette almost dreaded patrol that night. Patrol meant meeting up with Cat Noir, and that meant shooting him down again. He seemed to be getting serious with his flirting, and it was starting to scare her. She let out a sigh, which didn't escape her kwami, who flew over to her, concerned.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki asked, and Marinette was really grateful. Tikki was an excellent confidant, and she could tell her anything, even what she did with Cat Noir and saving Paris. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have an uncooperative kwami. Keeping secrets and lying all the time was exhausting, and Tikki was a break from all of that.

"I'm anxious about meeting up with Cat Noir tonight…" Marinette said, looking out the window at the night sky. "What if he flirts with me again, or tries to offer me another flower? I don't want to hurt him."

"Why don't you give him a chance, Marinette? Or at least accept the flowers?" Tikki suggested, and Marinette sighed.

"No, that won't work. I really want to make progress with Adrien, and I can't just lead Cat Noir on like that. It wouldn't be right." Marinette replied, and Tikki got a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Well, what if you accept the flowers, but you tell him that you're not looking for a relationship right now?" Tikki suggested, and Marinette put a hand to her chin, humming in thought. "And who knows, maybe you'll start to feel the same way if things with Adrien don't work out."

"But that makes it sound like I'm giving up on Adrien already!" Marinette groaned, putting her face in her hands. "If only I could open my stupid mouth in front of him…" Marinette lifted her head to look at Tikki, who was watching her curiously, but still with concern as well. "Well, I guess it would be good to invest in a Plan B. If things with Adrien don't happen, and Cat Noir's actually being genuine with his feelings, it wouldn't be so bad."

"That's a good way to look at it, Marinette! But don't be afraid to choose whichever relationship starts to work better, whether that's with Adrien or Cat Noir. If you hesitate, you might lose your chance." Tikki advised, and Marinette nodded confidently. Now that she had a plan, she felt much better about meeting up with Cat Noir.

"Okay, Tikki, let's meet up with that silly cat now. Spots on!" Marinette transformed into Ladybug in a flash of light, and soon she was swinging over Paris toward the Notre Dame. As it came into sight, she could see that Cat Noir was already there, gazing out over Paris absently. She landed on the roof behind him, and he turned to see her, giving her a small smile, which was unusual for him. She expected a large grin and a joyful cry, but none of that tonight. She must have really upset him last time…

"Cat Noir, I'm really sorry about what I said last patrol," Ladybug blurted, and Cat Noir blinked, mouth opening slightly in surprise. "I was really harsh with you, and I shouldn't have gotten so heated about a flower. Can you forgive me?" A wide grin spread over Cat Noir's face, and Ladybug felt like she could relax again. The tension shattered, and the difference was clear.

"Of course, my lady! I could never be upset with you for too long!" Cat Noir told her, and Ladybug smiled. He skipped over to her and held out something to her. She almost giggled when it was another flower, this one pink. He was still prepared to give her flowers, even when he was upset. "I hope you'll accept this as a token of my a _purr_ ology."

"Well, that pun almost ruined it, but…" Ladybug said, and she took the stem of the flower from Cat Noir and twirled it in her fingers. "I will accept your apology, and your flower. It's really pretty." As she looked away from the flower to gauge his reaction, she was surprised to see that he was staring at her, eyes wide and mouth open. "Uh, Cat Noir?" He seemed to snap out of it then, shaking his head and eyes refocusing. She stifled a giggle. It was actually rather cute.

"You took the flower." Cat Noir said dumbly, pointing at her hand, which was still holding the flower.

"Yes, I took the flower, Cat Noir. Now, would you like to start patrol, or are you rooted to the ground?" Ladybug teased. She did giggle this time when Cat Noir's mouth dropped further open. "Well, if you're not going to move, I guess I'll be off to make sure Paris is safe on my own. See you later, kitty!" Ladybug threw a wave at Cat Noir as she launched off the building, tucking the flower into her hair. It was a little awkward, but she needed both of her hands to control her movement while using her yo-yo. She could faintly hear the sound of Cat Noir launching off to start his own patrol, but Ladybug didn't look back to check, instead smiling to herself. No, it wouldn't be too bad to consider Cat Noir an option if things with Adrien didn't work out. He was definitely passionate about impressing her, and that was something she admired about him.

* * *

 **It got a little bit serious in the middle there, but at least Tikki was able to help out! Little does Marinette know that she's getting close to Adrien either way, haha.**

 **-Green**


	4. Scarves

**I almost made this a reveal one-shot, but hey, that would be too easy, right? Anyway, on with the story!**

* * *

 **Scarves**

Marinette had gotten the idea after seeing Adrien wearing the scarf she made him once winter came around. It would only get colder as the months went by, and that would make patrol very unappealing. That's why she decided to make Cat Noir something warm so that he wouldn't be cold on their patrol nights.

After some deliberation, she concluded that a scarf would be the perfect accessory for Cat Noir, too. A beanie would probably be irritating with his ears, and it would hide his golden hair that Ladybug would never admit to his face to loving, he already had gloves on with the suit, and a jacket might be too weighty, and too over-the-top for a simple gift. The next step had been to decide what colours to use for the scarf, and that was easy enough. He was a black cat superhero, so black was a given, and she also wanted to use green to complement his bright green eyes. After that, she had to buy the fabric and then she could get to work.

She held the finished scarf in front of her, examining it. Nothing seemed out of place, and the alternating black and green was aesthetically pleasing, and each section was the same size. It was perfect. She smiled in satisfaction and put the scarf down on her desk. Now, all she needed to do was present him with the scarf the next time they met up for patrol. If she called him up all of a sudden, it might put other ideas into his head and all she wanted to convey was that she didn't want him to be cold, not that she was interested in a relationship. She was working on being with Adrien, and she didn't need Cat Noir to complicate that any more than he already did.

The only downside to this scarf is that no one would be able to know that she was the one who had made it. She had been very careful not to let her parents or Alya see it, even though Alya had been very insistent on knowing what Marinette's next project was every time she came in to Marinette's room and saw the mannequin without anything on display or any designs on the desk indicating that she was working on something. Alya knew Marinette well enough to know that she was always working on something, and Marinette didn't know how she had been able to hide it from her.

The reason that she didn't let anyone see it is because if someone did see it, and then Cat Noir went around wearing it and saying it had been a gift from Ladybug, they would be able to connect the dots, and Alya especially would be onto her in a flash. It made Marinette very paranoid, and she had lost some sleep over it. Now that the scarf was complete, everything would go back to normal, save for Cat Noir having a new scarf.

Marinette picked up the scarf and hid it behind the pillows on her chaise. Her parents were known to come into her room on occasion when she wasn't in it, and she didn't want them to find it in an obvious place in the morning when one of them came to wake her up. Once she was ready for school, she would relocate it to under her bed sheets so that it would be even better hidden.

"Cat Noir is going to be so pleased, Marinette!" Tikki flew over to Marinette from the desk, a big smile on her face. Marinette giggled.

"I can only imagine. But for now, it's time to go to bed." Marinette looked at her alarm clock, and winced when she saw that it was 2am. "Yeah, definitely time for bed. Night, Tikki!" After her kwami had flown off to sleep, Marinette turned off the lights and got into her bed. She fell asleep quickly, her tiredness hitting her all at once now that she was finished with the scarf.

* * *

Marinette had been restless the whole day, and once night time finally came around, she was excited. Alya had made fun of her, but Marinette didn't pay it too much mind, instead distracting her friend from teasing her by talking about the Ladyblog, a topic which always resulted in Alya gushing about Ladybug and potential scoops, and Marinette had endured them with a smile. It was always nice to know where Alya's mind was, anyway, and how she could lead her away from finding out the truth. She would love to tell Alya about her superhero identity, but she didn't want to subject Alya to the dangers that came with being Ladybug.

Marinette put the scarf in a box that was small enough to carry and not be a burden while she used her yo-yo and wrapped a ribbon around it that she tied in a bow. If she was going to present it a gift, it might as well look the part. She looked to Tikki, who had been watching her work from next to her head.

"Tikki, I think it's about time to go on patrol now, right? I can't keep Cat Noir waiting for his present, after all." Marinette smirked, and Tikki nodded enthusiastically. It was a little early, but Marinette wanted to get to their meeting place first. To appease Tikki, who had been excited about the gift as well, she'd made sure to get her homework done early as well. "Okay! Spots on!" In a flash of pink light, she was Ladybug, and swinging across the rooftops of Paris, box under her left arm while using the yo-yo with her right. She made sure to be more careful than usual so that she didn't lose grip of the box accidentally.

Ladybug landed on the highest observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, and was happy to see that she had beaten Cat Noir there. He always seemed to be there before her, as if he was eager to look around Paris, but maybe it was because of the freedom that came with being behind a mask. Or because of her, but Ladybug didn't entertain the thought.

A few minutes later, Ladybug could spot a shape heading toward the tower silently, and she knew that it had to be Cat Noir. She picked up the box and hid it behind her back just as Cat Noir landed in front of her, a grin on his face. His eyes lit up when he realised that she was already there.

"My lady, you're early! Couldn't wait to see me tonight?" Cat Noir smirked, and Ladybug had to force down the groan that she felt rising.

"Actually, Cat Noir, I did want to see you tonight." Ladybug gestured with a shoulder, and the movement alerted Cat Noir to her hands that were behind her back. "You see, I have something for you." Ladybug presented the box to Cat Noir, who took it, a look of awe on his face. She almost giggled at the sight. He looked pleased just at getting a gift. Ladybug wondered if that meant that he didn't get many, but she tried not to dwell on that thought so that her mood didn't get ruined.

"For me? What's the _purr_ pose of this gift? It's not my birthday." Cat Noir asked, still staring at the box as if were precious.

"I know that, you would have told me months in advance if it was," Ladybug teased. "Just open the box, kitty. You'll see soon enough why I'm giving you this gift." At her consent, Cat Noir removed the ribbon with a claw, letting it fall to the ground. He took off the lid and his eyes widened as he took the scarf out of the box, which he set down so that he could examine the scarf in both hands. "I figured that since it's early winter, it will only get colder, and you'd appreciate something to keep you warm during our patrols." Cat Noir looked away from the scarf to look at her, and she could see his eyes shining with something she couldn't quite place.

"Ladybug, I… I love it!" Cat Noir exclaimed, a huge grin lighting up his face, and he wrapped the scarf around his neck. "Wow, it's so warm! This is _purr_ fect! I would say I'd wear it all the time, but that would give me away." Cat Noir chuckled, and Ladybug laughed as well. She was glad that Cat Noir appreciated the gift, and was so happy about it.

"I'm glad you appreciate the gift, Cat Noir." Ladybug smiled, and she was surprised when instead of a verbal response, she found herself being hugged by Cat Noir, but she relaxed in his embrace. When she pulled away, she noticed his eyes drift down to her neck, and she raised a hand to feel around. "Maybe I should think about getting a matching scarf. We'd be quite a nice sight."

"We would definitely be the cat's meow of Paris!" Cat Noir agreed, and Ladybug sighed with a smile.

"We sure would be." Ladybug replied, and adopted a serious expression. "Now how about we start patrol? Maybe we'll see news about your scarf in the morning."

"That would be fun. I'll see you soon, my lady!" Cat Noir got out his staff, gave her a salute and launched off the tower to the next building. Ladybug watched him for a little bit before she got out her yo-yo and started her own patrol. She would definitely make that matching scarf, if only to complete the look. Seeing Cat Noir so happy made her feel really good, and she wanted to make sure that he would always be like that.

* * *

 **I feel like Adrien would appreciate any heart-felt gift, but one from his lady is even more special :3**

 **Please leave a review if you liked it! I appreciate any feedback. :)**

 **-Green**


	5. Picnic

**Sorry about not updating sooner, I've had a busy weekend! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Picnic**

Cat Noir left his room, a basket clutched in one hand. He went across the rooftops slowly, being careful to make sure that nothing spilled out of the basket. He had a large grin on his face, and he was excited.

The reason for his excitement was that he was going to have a late night picnic with his lady in the park, with no one around to intrude on them. He'd been pestering her for weeks about hanging out outside of akuma attacks and patrols, and Ladybug had finally relented. Surprisingly, she had a suggestion as well, and thus they organised a picnic. She made sure to emphasise heavily that it was a friendly thing, and nothing more, but Cat Noir didn't mind. He was just happy that she was giving him the time of day. Or night, as it may be.

Cat Noir landed in the park, and looked around to make sure no one was around on a late night stroll or anything. Seeing nothing, Cat Noir smiled and went over to the statue of him and Ladybug. He set the basket down and pulled out a blanket, which he set on the grass under the statue's shadow. That done, he placed the basket on it and sat down to wait. He had high hopes that she would show up, especially since they had both agreed to this. Surely she wasn't the type to bail on arrangements without warning.

A few minutes later, his worries were dispelled when Ladybug showed up, landing on the fence and jumping down into the park to walk over, attaching her yo-yo to her hip.

"My lady, you made it!" Cat Noir greeted enthusiastically, waving a hand at her. Ladybug smiled and waved back.

"Hi, kitty. Looks like you're prepared." Ladybug gestured to the basket as she sat down. Cat Noir grinned and opened it up to take out the food that had been prepared. He would have made it himself, but he wasn't allowed to make anything in the kitchen at home, so his chef had prepared it. Cat Noir wondered why his chef allowed him to get away with so much food without asking any questions. It was convenient for him, though.

"I want this picnic to be _purr_ fect, my lady, so I put a lot of effort into it." Cat Noir told her, offering a sandwich with a wink. Ladybug sighed as she took it from Cat Noir's hand.

"You do realise this isn't a date, right? So it doesn't have to be perfect," Ladybug said, taking a bite of her sandwich as Cat Noir retrieved his own. Cat Noir was happy when he heard her hum happily as she chewed. She made sure to swallow what was in her mouth before she spoke again. "This sandwich is really good! But as I was saying, you don't have to put in so much effort for just a friendly get together."

"But you deserve the best, bugaboo. I want to make you happy, and if I put in little effort, that wouldn't make you happy at all." Cat Noir replied, digging into his own sandwich.

"I would be happy, Cat Noir." Ladybug said, and Cat Noir looked to see her watching him, a serious expression on her face. He tilted his head slightly, and Ladybug sighed. "When we're fighting or just patrolling together, it feels really nice. Just knowing that you're by my side is enough to make me happy. You don't have to go to such lengths as this to make me feel good." Cat Noir's face heated up after hearing his lady's thoughts, and he knew for sure that he was blushing. He hoped that the darkness of night would be able to prevent his lady from noticing.

"I didn't know you felt that way, my lady. If you enjoy my presence, then I'll continue to be there for you when you need me." Cat Noir replied, and he was glad that his voice didn't waver.

"Thank you, Cat Noir. You're a great partner, and my best friend. I don't want you to believe that you need to put me on a pedestal just to make me happy. We're equals in this fight, and often I even depend on you." Cat Noir could feel his face getting redder with every word his lady was saying, and he didn't quite know how to handle the praise. "Cat Noir, are you alright?" Cat Noir cursed his luck that Ladybug could see his blush.

"Y-Yes, I'm _purr_ fectly fine, LB." Cat Noir stammered, and he cursed himself again. He heard a sound, and he looked to see Ladybug hiding her mouth behind a hand, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Are you flustered, kitty? You can dish out all the praise you want, but once it's turned on you, you can't handle it?" Ladybug teased, and Cat Noir shook his head rapidly.

"Of course I can handle praise! I'm just not used to so much from you." Cat Noir said, purposefully taking a bite of his sandwich so that he didn't have to reply immediately.

"Oh," Ladybug said, and Cat Noir watched her eyes drop to her hands. "I don't praise you enough? I'm sorry."

"No, that's not what I meant!" Cat Noir waved his hands around. "I mean that you're overloading me with praise right now! I'm happy with all the praise you give me, my lady." Ladybug looked up at him, and Cat Noir could see the happiness in her eyes.

"I'm glad to hear that, Cat Noir. I don't want to feel like I'm not giving you credit where it's due." Ladybug said, smiling. Cat Noir returned the gesture.

"I would never accuse you of that, my lady. You're kind to me and everyone in Paris, and if you are hard with me, then I probably deserve it. So please don't change a thing." Cat Noir told her, and he could see her cheeks redden slightly, even with the mask. He chuckled. "Looks like you're the one getting flustered _meow_."

"Whatever, kitty. Let's just eat, okay?" Ladybug waved a hand dismissively and picked up another sandwich. Cat Noir chuckled, but complied. It was nice to talk like this every once in a while, and it seemed like they'd needed to talk about everything that they had.

* * *

 **Short and sweet, but hopefully it's still good. :)**

 **-Green**


End file.
